July 2011

Recently I have begun correspondence with a man who is a member of the United States Armed Forces, and is stationed overseas. He is a Christian, and he is taking a college level Bible correspondence course via the Internet...

In letters he told me about the difficulties he experienced during his adolescence when depression would overtake him. During this time in his life he tried to "dabble" in the Satanic Bible, and it made him curious. It made him wonder if there really is a being made by the name of Satan, and if Satan could give him power to overcome his bad feelings and his sad mood.Well, the Satanic Bible, since it was first published by Anton Szandor LaVey in 1966, who also founded the official Church of Satan in San Francisco, California, in the same year, has become quite popular. Since its publication LaVey's dark Bible has sold over a million copies. I personally believe there is a genuine occultic power within it, although this power does not always manifest itself to everyone who reads it.Interestingly, however, Anton LaVey always claimed that he himself never believed in a literal being called Satan or the Devil. Instead, the founder of modern day Satanism merely viewed it as a lifestyle of freedom and self-indulgence. Perhaps, then, Mr. LaVey was and is the most deceived man of all.Because the Christian Bible declares that Satan is a real spirit being, and so are the myriad of demons who follow him. In fact the holy Bible reveals that the Devil is actively involved, even at this present time, in blinding the minds of individuals so that they will not believe the gospel and be saved. It says in the New Testament, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them (II Corinthians 4:3-4)." Also, that Satan could actually steal the words of the Bible from someone's heart right after the word was spoken to them. "But when they have heard (the word of God), Satan comes immediately, and takes away the word that was sown in their heart (Mark 4:15, parenthesis mine)."Concerning Anton LaVey, he himself was not only deceived by the one whom he claimed did not really exist, but LaVey in his lifetime had given himself over to every conceivable lust and vice. He was in bondage to his sin nature, too. Therefore, in reality LaVey knew nothing about the 'freedom' he claimed Satanism has to offer. To LaVey, this freedom meant doing your own thing, even at the expense of others, and regardless of any future consequences. His philosophy I believe could be best summed up as this, "It if feels good, do it."LaVey died in 1997. In my opinion, the founder of modern Satanism and the author of the Satanic Bible, died a slave to the Devil. Somehow Satan managed to swindle from LaVey his most important possession: his soul! I shudder to think where he is right now. I tremble when I think that, if not for God's mercy, I could be in the same place, in torment, forever.D.B.